ANDORRA

Principality of Andorra

Principat d'Andorra

COUNTRY OVERVIEW

LOCATION AND SIZE.

Andorra, a tiny landlocked principality in southwestern Europe, is
situated in the eastern Pyrenees Mountains, bordered on the north and
east by France and on the south and west by Spain. It comprises a region
of 7 narrow valleys and the adjacent peaks reaching heights of more than
2,700 meters (about 8,860 feet) above sea level. Also named the Valleys
of Andorra, the country has an area of only 468 square kilometers (181
square miles), about 2.5 times the size of Washington, D.C., or about
half the size of New York City. The capital is Andorra la Vella (Andorra
of the Valley), with a population of 21,985 in 1996.

POPULATION.

The population of Andorra was estimated at 66,824 in July 2000, up from
64,716 in 1998. Although mountainous, the country is densely populated,
with an overall density of 138 persons per square kilometer (358 per
square mile). The population, however, is unevenly distributed, and is
concentrated in the 7 urbanized valleys that form the country's
parishes (political districts): Andorra la Vella, Canillo, Encamp, La
Massana, Escaldes-Engordany, Ordino, and Sant Julia de Loria. Andorra
has a slow population growth rate of 1.22 percent, fueled by a birth
rate of 10.58 births per 1,000 population, a death rate of 5.27 deaths
per 1,000 population, and a high net
immigration
rate of 6.9 migrants per 1,000 population

(all according to 2000 estimates). The Andorrans have a very high life
expectancy at birth, standing at 83.46 years for the total population
(80.56 for men and 86.56 for women). This is attributed partly to the
pleasant mountainous climate, and partly to the prosperous economy and
sufficient health care provisions in the country. The population is
aging, as in much of the rest of Europe, with 15 percent of the
Andorrans younger than 15 years, 72 percent between 15 and 64 years, and
13 percent 65 years or older.

Native Andorrans, curiously enough, represent a minority (only about 33
percent of the population) in their own country; they are Catalan in
their culture and language. The official language of the principality is
also Catalan, a romance language, spoken also by more than 6 million
people in the regions of French and Spanish Catalonia (in southwestern
France and northeastern and eastern Spain and the Balearic islands in
the Mediterranean). More people of Andorran descent live outside the
country (particularly in France) than in their home country, because
historically, as in many similar societies with very limited land
supply, land ownership has been strictly passed on to the oldest heirs
while the rest often have had to seek their fortunes elsewhere. Spanish,
French, and Portuguese immigrants (both working people and
entrepreneurs) make up the majority of the population of the
principality, and the Spanish, French, and Portuguese languages are
widely spoken. Spaniards (Catalan-speaking or not) form the largest
single ethnic group in the country with 43 percent; Portuguese
constitute 11 percent and French 7 percent. Roman Catholicism is not
only the predominant religion but also the religion of the state, unlike
most European countries that strictly separate the church from the
state. For example, only Roman Catholics are permitted to marry in the
country, and all public records pertaining to issues such as birth,
death, and family status are still kept by the church. Pilgrimages to
the shrine of the Andorran patron saint, the Lady of Meritxell, are very
popular among believers. The education law requires school attendance
for children up to age 16 and a system of French, Spanish, and Andorran
lay (secular) schools provides education up to the secondary level.
Schools are built and maintained by the Andorran government but salaries
for teachers are paid for the most part by France or Spain. About half
of the Andorran children attend the French primary schools, and the rest
attend Spanish or Andorran ones, which suggests that the role of the
French language in the country's culture, communication, and
business life will grow in the future.

CAPITAL:

Andorra la Vella.

MONETARY UNIT:

No local currency; French and Spanish currencies are both used in the
country. Both Spain and France, along with 9 other members of the
European Union (EU), are in the process of changing over from their
national currencies to the single currency of the EU, the euro, for all
transactions. This transition will be completed with the introduction of
euro coins and bills in January 2002.

User Contributions:

Do you have reasonable hotels there? How do we get in touch with apartment owners to find out rental information? Is is reasonably easy to get around? Do you have public transportation or do we have to rent cars? Is the food in the restaurants reasonable? What is the distance to Madrid, Valencia and Paris from your capitol? Do they make Americans feel welcome? We felt very unwelcome in France and Rome, Italy. I hope you would welcome us. I really want to see your country.